The 8 Best Pressure Cookers for Dinner in Minutes

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A pressure cooker is the impatient man’s slow cooker, capable of cutting down cooking time by 70 percent. And since they’re handy for making food in bulk, they’re great for large families or meal prepping. What’s more, they can also help cut down on the number of dishes when making soups, stews, or one-pot recipes. Since there are so many options out there, we’ve rounded up some of the best to help you decide which pressure cooker is right for you.

Take a look below at quick info on the top five pressure cookers, then scroll down for buying advice and in-depth reviews of these and other models.

Types of Pressure Cookers

There are three types of pressure cookers: electric, stovetop, and microwave. While they can all cook your food quickly, there are marked differences between them.

Electric: This is the most common type of pressure cooker, but unfortunately also tends to be the most expensive. The electric kind often do more than just pressure cook and sometimes can take the place of other appliances, such as a rice cooker, slow cooker, and air fryer. And they are user-friendly, with many buttons and presets.

Stovetop: Stovetop models can be more affordable than electric and come in a range of capacities anywhere from 2 to 12 liters. They can be trickier to get the hang of than hands-off electric cookers, as you must use the pressure and heat gauges on top of the pot to dial in the settings. The biggest benefit of stovetop cookers, however, is that many also work to seal jars for at-home canning.

Microwave: These pressure cookers are affordable, lightweight, and durable. They work best for vegetables, pasta, and rice, so if you’re hoping to cook meat, you would be better off with electric or stovetop.

How We Selected

We researched ten expert sources, such as The Strategist, Good Housekeeping, and The Spruce, to determine the best pressure cookers, taking into account efficiency, safety, cook times, and ease of use. We also pored over 209,000 customer reviews on sites like Amazon and Walmart; our Consumer Score represents the percentage of people who rated each model at least four out of five stars.

—CUSTOMER FAVORITE—

Instant Pot Duo 6-Quart

Consumer Score: 94% gave it 4 stars or more

Not only have multiple publications chosen the Duo as their favorite, but this Instant Pot has garnered over 150,000 customer reviews on Amazon for a 4.5-star average rating. Credit its blend of affordability and versatility. It has seven different functions—electric pressure cooker, rice cooker, slow cooker, yogurt maker, steamer, sauté pan, and food warmer—which makes it a great choice for small kitchens or simply saving space and money on separate appliances. Customers loved the safety features built into this pot that prevent dangerous accidents, and they praised how intuitive the Duo is. “This is so easy to use, and it’s the perfect size for one or two people,” wrote one. “I’ve been making a lot of stews, and I’ll sauté the onions, carrots, and meat (if I’m using meat) then add everything else, seal it, and set it for seven minutes on high pressure. I let it release naturally and have a perfectly cooked, tasty meal every time.”

—BUDGET—

Farberware Programmable Digital Pressure Cooker 6-Quart

Consumer Score: 90% gave it 4 stars or more

If you don’t want to drop $100 on a new pressure cooker but still want something reliable, this Farberware will serve you well. When Good Housekeeping tested it, they found that it cooked evenly and efficiently, and the pre-set options worked well. It features seven different cooking options, and customers were particularly impressed with how it handled meat, which they claimed was cooked until tender while vegetables remained firm. The six-quart capacity is large enough to cook a whole chicken or a stack of ribs, fitting enough food for a small family. Some customers claimed that it was easy to use once they understood all of the buttons and presets, but stressed that it’s important to read the directions carefully before use.

—MOST VERSATILE—

Yedi Total Package 8-Quart

Consumer Score: 93% gave it 4 stars or more

Many pressure cookers can now do more than just pressure cook, but this Yedi is able to do more still. In addition to the more common presets, this pressure cooker can also cook eggs, steam vegetables, make yogurt, and bake cake. It also comes with a number of accessories, including two egg racks/steaming trivets, a ladle, a rice paddle, cooking mitts, an extra silicone sealing ring, a stainless steel steaming basket, a stainless steel inner cooking pot, and a measuring cup. It also comes with a small recipe book and a cheat sheet to help you use it to its fullest potential—you can also check Yedi’s website where they upload new recipes weekly. Customers loved that they were able to cook for a large family and that it allowed them to make less expensive meat taste delicious and tender.

—STOVETOP—

Presto Pressure Canner and Cooker 23-Quart

Consumer Score: 96% gave it 4 stars or more

If this were only a pressure cooker, it may be a bit difficult to justify the price tag. But if you’re an avid gardener looking to can the fruit of your harvest this summer, this Presto can both pressure cook your veggies and can them for later. It’s USDA certified for canning and relatively easy to use with some practice. “I took my time, read the manual, watched user videos on Youtube, and took a shot of my own, and it was a home run,” wrote an Amazon reviewer. You can can via either pressure or boiling water, and the appliance can fit either seven quart jars or nine pint jars at a time. If you wish to use it as a pressure cooker instead of canning, just be sure to stay away from acidic foods like tomatoes, which can erode the aluminum. You’ll also want to be gentle with the dial gauge when cleaning, and be sure not to completely submerge it in water.

—SMALL STOVETOP—

Hawkins Classic CL20 2-Liter

Consumer Score: 78% gave it 4 stars or more

Not everyone has the room—or the appetite—for a full-size pressure cooker. This mini stovetop option is both less expensive and more practical for small families and tiny kitchens. It works great for cooking rice, meat, and soup, and has an easy-to-use (and easy-to-clean) design. Customers loved that it felt durable and well built, and the handle stays cool even when the Classic is on. It features a “goof-proof” lid that seals up tight and only loosens once the pressure dissipates. While it will work on any type of stove—ceramic and electric included—it’s designed to work best with gas. So if you have one of the other options, you may have better luck with an electric cooker.

— SMART COOKER —

Chef iQ Smart Cooker 6-Quart

Consumer Score: 90% gave it 4 stars or more

It seems like everything is growing increasingly more intelligent—from your smart lights to virtual assistants—and this smart pressure cooker is no different. It connects to your phone or tablet via Wi-Fi or Bluetooth, and you can then peruse the Chef iQ app, which has hundreds of recipes. The cooker also has a built-in scale. “It is one of the best parts of the machine,” wrote a reviewer. “You put in two cups of rice and then it tells you to start to pour the water in, and it just tells you when you have reached the correct amount of water in real time. SO COOL! I’m in love with it.”

—PRESSURE COOKER-AIR FRYER COMBO—

Ninja Foodi 9-in-1 5-Quart

Consumer Score: 95% gave it 4 stars or more

The air fryer and pressure cooker combo—a meal prepper’s dream. If you’ve lusted after one or both of these appliances, consider buying this space- and money-saver. We should note that the space saving here applies to having to store only one appliance instead of two, as this Ninja is quite large, measuring almost 22 inches at its widest point. The brand built in what it calls TenderCrisp technology. Essentially, it means you can first cook your food with the pressure cooker function and then immediately crisp it up with the air fryer function. Customers love that the Foodi is quiet when running and easy to clean.

—MICROWAVE PRESSURE COOKER—

Prep Solutions Pressure Cooker 12-Cup

Consumer Score: 90% gave it 4 stars or more

If you aren’t sure that you want to commit to a pressure cooker just yet, this affordable microwave option is a great place to start. While it isn’t quite as adept as an electric or stovetop version, it works well cooking rice, vegetables, and pasta. Customers loved that it was easier to clean than a rice cooker, and some even said that they liked the way their rice turned out in this pressure cooker better than in their dedicated rice cooker. Since it’s lightweight and durable, it’s less of a hassle to store away, and you don’t have to worry about finding some empty counter space by an outlet when you want to use it. You can also put the included accessories—a pasta draining insert, a steaming insert, a pasta measurer, six measuring cups, four measuring spoons, and a rice paddle—inside the bowl to store.

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